“Crabs in March, ca ra in August” – coming to Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh around this time, visitors have the chance to savor the river ca ra crab specialty. Among them, ca ra crab hotpot is the most favored on freezing winter days.
An enticing specialty for the cold season
Ca ra is a species of crab that looks similar to the freshwater marsh crab but is larger in size. Ca ra is also known as mitten crab because the tips of its claws have a tuft of soft, velvety black hair. While swimming crabs, stone crabs, and ordinary crabs all have two claws—one large and one small—ca ra only has two small claws and eight legs.
A ca ra crab. Photo: Vietnam Craft Village Magazine.
“Crabs in March, ca ra in August” is a folk saying indicating the ca ra season. But the peak season is from the 9th and 10th lunar months onward, when ca ra crabs are at their fattest and most delicious. The ca ra season in Dong Trieu begins when the weather transitions from autumn to winter and lasts until early spring of the following year.
River ca ra crab. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra crabs usually make burrows in deep water and sluice gates and have nocturnal feeding habits, eating mollusks as well as small fish and shrimp. Therefore, locals set fish traps along riverbanks from midday the previous day until the following morning or use scoop nets to catch them at night.
Ca ra crabs fried with lolot leaves. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra crabs can be prepared into many different dishes such as roasted with tamarind, steamed, braised with lolot leaves, cooked in soup... but perhaps the most unique dish is ca ra crab hotpot.
Malabar spinach soup with ca ra crab. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
How to cook ca ra crab hotpot
Cooking the hotpot is quite simple: wash thoroughly, peel off the carapace, dip large crabs directly into the hotpot, and finely grind small ones and strain them for broth. For the hotpot to have the authentic taste, making the broth is the most important step. Once ground or pounded, the ca ra crabs are carefully filtered to obtain the crab curd. When blending, add a little salt so the crab curd clumps together. Seasonings for the hotpot include sugar, salt, MSG, dried shallots, tomatoes... and especially fermented rice vinegar must be used to create the sour flavor.
Ingredients for ca ra crab hotpot. Photo: Thai Binh Newspaper.
The crab curd is simmered until it forms into solid cakes and then scooped into a bowl. Next, place a pot on the stove, sauté dried shallots until fragrant, stir in tomatoes, and then add fermented vinegar to create an aromatic, thick mixture. Pour in the crab broth, bring to a boil, and season to taste.
Golden hotpot broth. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra crab hotpot cannot do without buffalo meat, pork cartilage, fried tofu, fried shallots... as accompaniments. And vegetables such as banana blossom, perilla, elephant ear stems, Malabar spinach... However, so as not to overpower its distinctive flavor, many diners often choose to enjoy the hotpot with mixed finely sliced raw vegetables and herbs and a plate of shredded calabash.
Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Gathering around the hotpot. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
In the winter chill of the Northeast, enjoying a pot of ca ra crab hotpot piping hot, rich with an appealing golden color alongside green vegetables will be an unforgettable culinary experience for visitors to Quang Ninh. Follow the iVIVU blog to read more helpful articles for a complete trip!
